He Said All
by Alannada
Summary: In a battle, while trying to protect Kagome and Kikyou, Inuyasha got wounded by an unlikely weapon. Will he survive the wound? What will Kagome and Kikyou do?
1. Chapter 1

Summary: In a battle, while trying to protect Kagome and Kikyou, Inuyasha got wounded by an unlikely weapon. Will he survive the wound? What will Kagome and Kikyou do?

A/N: Since I was on a block for the past couple of weeks I have a lot of catching up to my schedule and all the outlined ideas for stories on my desktop to do, so hopefully you'll get more from me this month.  
Anyway, this story got a teeny bit longer, so I'm going to post it in more swallow-able chapters.  
Enjoy!

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He Said All He Felt Should Be Said

1.

* * *

The swarm of Naraku's youkai was like an ocean, coming in waves, each one bigger than the previous. It was hard to see the sky through the clouds of Naraku's insects and flying lower youkai, who were trying to take down the youkai slayer riding on Kirara's back and sending her boomerang at them. Kirara was fighting with her claws and fangs. Both the slayer and the cat were drenched in sweat, but unwilling to back down.

Miroku was on the ground, sucking all the youkai he could without getting too many poisonous insects. He had been throwing his sutras at the advancing forces, but now he was out of his sacred papers and all he got was his staff and cursed hand. His brows were knitted as he was fighting back nausea and pain of sucking in too many vile beasts at once.

Near him were Kagome and Shippou. The kitsune was fighting as the last line of the miko's defense, using all his tricks to redirect attacks meant to harm his adoptive mother. Kagome was shooting her bow, sending arrow after arrow, her reiki purifying not only the hit target, but often also the youkai nearest to it. Still, she could feel the strain of using so much power and her arrows were limited. She was going to be out of them before the end of the battle.

The miko sent another arrow and watched it fly, going past the hanyou fighting in front of her and Miroku. They were often combing their attack and she knew the patterns of Inuyasha's movements well after months of battling together. There was no way for her arrow to even graze him and the hanyou was trusting her enough not to get flustered when she shot above his head.

He was too busy to even notice the arrow, swinging Tessaiga in one hand and sending waves of youki and spears of adamant at the masses of lower youkai, ogres and other youkai who were under Naraku's control. The battle was going on for a while now, the group moving steadily back and trying to find a place more suitable to defend than an empty field. The horde of youkai seemed to get a little thinner in time, but so was their strength. The wounds started to appear on their fatigued bodies as the attacking youkai were moving closer to the gang members.

Finally Kagome realized she had her last arrow in her hands and gulped. Sango and Kirara were making their way down. Blood and sweat were dripping from Kirara's pale flanks, her paws and jaws bloodied as well. One of her eyes was closed and covered by some green stuff. Sango atop of the cat youkai didn't look much better, her suit torn from one him almost all the way to her knee, revealing a pretty deep gash, her face bruised, her hands moving less steadily as she threw her boomerang yet again. As Kagome looked up to the duet she saw a huge bat-like youkai coming down at them, claws outstretched.

"Hit the mark!" the arrow flew past Kirara and embedded itself right in the center of the bat-like youkai's stomach. The beast screamed in agony and Sango and Kirara landed near Kagome in a rain of youkai guts.

"Multiply! Heart Scar!" Kagome turned her head fast at the cry of the little kitsune, who leaped from under her feet to meet a boar youkai huge as Kaede's hut charging straight at the miko. A couple dozens little foxes appeared in clouds of smoke and latched themselves to the boar's weak spots, putting acorns in its eyes and gnawing at its ears and belly. The boar reared up oh its hind legs and shook the kitsunes, poofing them out of existence. But as it opened its ugly face to roar the last remaining kitsune called forth a ball of blue fire and sent it straight in the boar's mouth. Smoke went out of the boar's ears and it fell to the ground.

"Shikon no Tama! Give it to us!" called the youkai and Kagome jumped away from her place to avoid being squished by an ogre's club. As she staggered away Miroku ran past her and hit the ogre with his staff, channeling his reiki though it. The monk was swaying on his legs, but he, as everyone else, knew that he couldn't afford a minute to rest. He couldn't use his cursed hand anymore, if he did he wouldn't be able to stay conscious long enough to do any good.

He joined Sango, Kirara and Shippou in the wide circle around Kagome, who was gnawing at her bottom lips, unable to aid them without her arrows. She looked over to Inuyasha and saw the hanyou calling forth the Wind Scar yet again. He didn't even look where he was aiming it, knowing that there were enough youkai in front of him for it to hit at least a dozen of them at once.

The air was full of the stench of youkai blood, guts and anger. They were relentless in their attacks, not noticing their fallen comrades, stamping over them in their greed to get to the jewel shards around the miko's neck. The cacophony of sounds was almost deafening, the stench of blood, guts and simply unwashed youkai could make even a human gad. The gang was fighting valiantly, but there was too many foes. And no shelter.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome called out to him. But there was nothing he could do to make their situation better, he was already doing all he could.

A snake youkai knocked Sango down and opened its maws, ready to swallow the slayer who was trying to get to her feet and raise her weapon. Miroku's cry and Kirara's roar mixed with Kagome's scream, but none of them was close enough to do anything.

Suddenly a snake-like youkai with little tiny limbs and eerie glow radiating from its slim body, flew past them and wrapped itself around the youkai, lifting it up and giving Sango enough time to stand up again. Kagome looked back and saw the one who was the newcomer's master.

Somehow she managed to look even more aloof and pristine as she approached them, her hair flowing behind her back like waterfall of black, her red and white robes in a stark contrast to the torn, dirty clothes of the fighting group. Everyone seemed to pause for a moment to take notice of her approach.

Kikyou stepped close to Kagome, undisturbed by no one. She lifted her bow and found an arrow in her quiver, then sent it at the biggest, most mean-looking youkai around them. With a howl the youkai was gone and it seemed to shake the others from their stupor. Kikyou had enough time to throw her quiver to the ground, emptying it so Kagome could pick the arrows and use her bow again. With a grateful smile the younger miko resumed fighting. There was no say why Kikyou came to aid them, but Kagome didn't care, the undead miko seemed to be on their side and that was what mattered.

The circle which had shrunk earlier, grew wider again, as everyone caught a second breath. They, as Kagome, didn't ask questions, focusing on seeing the battle through first. Their enemies were still outnumbering them and they knew their drive wouldn't last long.

Inuyasha was practically dancing around the outside of the circle, always where the most youkai were trying to breach it and get to the two mikos, always screaming profanities, pushing himself to his limits. How could he do less than this when he was a hanyou, much stronger than the weak humans behind his back who were giving their all? He was Inu no Taisho's son, even if he didn't voice that often, he was too proud to just flee. That is - if there was a safe place to flee. As it was he didn't really have any other option than to fight, to protect his friends with all he had. He didn't pay attention to his wounds, straining his ears to hear any sound over the pounding beat of his own blood rushing through his veins. His robe didn't look very soiled, but it was wet and uncomfortable, weighting him down with all the blood and other liquids it absorbed. He was frantically looking for some kind of shelter, some kind of miracle to end this battle before one of his friends got seriously wounded or worse. He had noticed all their efforts and wounds, he had noticed Kikyou's arrival, but he couldn't do anything more than swing his sword and call forth his attacks until he got hoarse.

When another Wind Scar plowed the field, eradicating a couple dozens youkai Inuyasha saw something miraculous - the land beyond them. There was end to their numbers, it seemed the gang could win this battle, if they just kept up fighting for a while longer. He called back to his friends and heard them confirming his observation, the remaining forces of the youkai were weakening, there were longer intervals between their attacks. They were fighting more one on one fights than trying to deal with two or more attacking youkai at the same time. They could make it!

And just then, when they felt hope in their hearts...

...They made a mistake. 


	2. Chapter 2

2.

"Ah!"

"Inuyasha!"

Two voices which could cause his ears to quiver rung in the air, making him stop his attack mid-swipe and swirl around.

Miroku, Sango, Kirara and Shippou were fighting off some youkai, trying to stand their ground. But Kagome and Kikyou weren't where they had been, only their bows and a bunch of arrows remained there.

A tall ogre with one eye and four arms stood above the discarded weapons, holding each miko in its grasp, high above the ground. Kikyou's soul collectors swirled around it, bit its secondary pair of arms just swung at them, cutting a couple to shreds. The ogre shook the women, eliciting another shouts of pain and fear from them.

"Jewel shards." he cackled.

Inuyasha's blood ran cold. Then it boiled.

"Let'em go!" he roared and charged at the ogre, who's knees were way above his head. Tessaiga flashed as the running hanyou raised it in a swift motion, ready to jump and slice the ogre in half. He caught a glimpse of Kagome's face, pale and covered in mud, but hopeful, desperate. Kikyou seemed more calm as she tried to free herself. Inuyasha bent his legs and launched himself in the air. Kagome called his name.

One of the ogre's secondary arms, as muscular as the primary ones, came from below and knocked Tessaiga upwards and out of Inuyasha's grasp which loosened when the hanyou was trying to dodge the other secondary arm.

The sword flew up, swirling like a huge shuriken, but there was no time to look up at it's path. Inuyasha immediately changed his tactic, utilizing his own blood and changing it to youki-filled blades, slashing with both hands as he hit the ogre's chest. He could hear his friends calling his name, but only Kagome's voice was registered as he tore in the ogre's flesh with relentless of a rabid dog. The fear in her voice urged him on. The secondary arms came at him again, but they got severed with two swipes of his youki-enhanced claws. And since the youkai had its primary hands busy holding two mikos it was vulnerable for his attacks. It roared in pain and tried to shake the hanyou off, but it was for no avail.

The ogre took a step back when in matter of seconds the hanyou reached its heart and grasped it, pulling and shredding it, sinking his fangs in the still beating muscle, tasting putrid blood. With a growl, flooded by the ogrre's agonized scream, Inuyasha tore the heart out of its chest and let it fall to the ground. The ogre fell on it's back, his limp fingers letting go of the women, who shrieked as they started their own descent. Luckily the soul collectors dove after them and caught them in time. Inuyasha landed on the ground covered in bits of the ogre's internals and mud of the dirt mixed with the ogre's blood. The whole scene took merely a fraction of a minute to unfold.

"Inuyasha, watch out!" Kagome called in alarm, joined by their friends, who were behind him. The hanyou wiped the gore off of his face with his sticky sleeve and turned around, ready to face any opponent who could try and sneak behind him. There was no youkai left in the area, all remaining foes had fled while he had been dealing with the ogre.

A searing, blinding pain, pain like nothing he knew, speared his right shoulder, slipping down to his chest.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried in horror when the hanyou fell limply to the ground with a strangled cry of a hurt dog. Tessaiga's hilt was sticking out of his shoulder, its blade sheathed in the hanyou's body, the hot blood of Inu no Taisho's son running down the now dormant blade. "Inuyasha!"

Not even a single gore-covered ear twitched. 


	3. Chapter 3

3.

"It's just a flesh wound," murmured Sango, but allowed Miroku to wrap a bandage around a long, but shallow claw-inflicted cut on her arm. Her voice was hushed and tired, reflecting the emotions of the slayer as she glanced to the other side of their little camp, concern for her friends clear in her eyes.

They had found a shelter for the night some distance away from the gore-covered battlefield. It was unwise to stay in the place stinking of carnage, scavengers were bound to come soon. They had managed to find a small forest-covered hill with a stream flowing out of a cave. They were now in the cave, patching up their wounds.

Shippou, who was unharmed, beside of a few already healing bruises, was busying himself by bringing firewood, water and by fetching everyone whatever they needed. When he wasn't busy he was sitting at Inuyasha's side, whimpering in distress, his bushy tail trembling. Kirara had lit the fire and now was licking herself clean by the cave entrance, guarding the resting pack. They all were quieter than usual, there was no bickering, no teasing, no discussing good points and mistakes of the battle they had survived. The atmosphere in the cave was laced with somberness and concern, for their leader was down and still unconscious.

Miroku finished Sango's bandages and let her take care of his wounds, not finding in himself even a hint of his usual playfulness and not teasing the girl. Kagome's first aid kit was a huge help, especially with addition of Kaede's herbs and ointments.

Kikyou was kneeling by the fire, observing Inuyasha's face, almost as white as his hair. No one knew what she was thinking, because she was the most quiet of them all, her face passive and not showing any emotion. It would be creepy for the gang to have the undead miko in their midst, but right now they were too exhausted to really care, as long as she wasn't trying anything fishy. Her soul collectors were clinging to the cracks in the upper walls and ceiling of the cave, adding to the firelight their own eerie light. Shadows were dancing around the group, somberly watching the last two members of their group.

Kagome was working with a grim determination, ignoring all the protests of her bruised and scratched body and her fatigue. She had undressed Inuyasha's upper body, cleaned his wounds and dressed them, using yards of fresh bandages and generous amounts of all the medicine she had in her backpack. Her hands were gentle when she was tending to her hanyou protector, her hands shaking only a little.

Only thing keeping her from collapsing in tears was the fact that Inuyasha's heart was beating - although slowly - and his chest was rising and falling. Finally Kagome had to move to the most horrible of his wounds - the sword was still in it. No one had touched it, they were almost scared to look at it. Kagome knew that now, when the other wounds were bandaged it was time to take care of this one, and this meant pulling out the katana. With a strangled cry Kagome grabbed the cool hilt of the usually warm to touch katana and pulled with all her strength. 'Please, please,' she prayed in her heart.

Tessaiga slid out of the would with the same ease it had slid out of the rock in Inu no Taisho's grave.

But this time it was accompanied with a sickening sound of metal grazing bone. Inuyasha's body shivered and his lids flung open for a second, revealing blood red eyes which rolled back before the hanyou collapsed on the blanket, motionless.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome and Kikyou both moved towards him. The undead miko had offered to help with Inuyasha's wounds earlier, but no one had told her it was alright. And since she had seen how distressed Kagome had been the older miko had thought it would be better to let her work alone. Kikyou had expected the younger miko to give up after stumbling upon worse wounds, but Kagome had not turned to her for help, even when she had been dealing with cuts so deep she could see bones. Kikyou had not expected the other priestess to remove the cursed youkai sword either and yet Kagome was the one to do so, without even looking Kikyou's way. Kikyou was annoyed at the girl for her lack of respect for the obviously more skilled miko, so she had been just observing her, waiting for a mistake she could point out or for the girl to ask for her aid.

But now, as she saw blood rushing out of the cut in Inuyasha's body Kikyou's resolve melted and she reached for him. Kagome had tears in her eyes, but she didn't say a word, nor did she push her hands away from the hanyou. Miroku was praying while Sango and Shippou watched in silence as the two mikos bent over the motionless body of the man they both loved, trying to keep him alive. For a while there was nothing between them, their minds focused on the same goal, their differences put away for the time being.

The wound was cleaned, disinfected, covered by healing ointments and wrapped tightly, so the blood couldn't flow out. Kagome and Kikyou looked at each other over Inuyasha's body.

"Now all we can do is wait and hope that his healing can take care of the rest," sighed Kagome, announcing that they did all there was humanly possible. It was up to Inuyasha's youkai blood to heal the boy. She hated that part, the long waiting for him to wake up, the fact that in this time there was no chance of a surgery or a transfusion.

"I thought that he was going to change into his full youkai self," Miroku broke the heavy silence after a few minutes. His voice was lacking it's usual playfulness.

"Yeah, me too," Shippou carefully moved closer to Inuyasha and curled in a ball against his uninjured thigh. Inuyasha was like an older brother, of the I-wish-I-could-punch-you-in-the-face variety, seeing him like this was disturbing to the boy.

"His full youkai self?" Kikyou inquired softly, looking at the monk for an explanation. Meanwhile Kagome went and wiped Tessaiga with a clean cloth. She put it in its sheath and rested the sword at Inuyasha's side, gently laying his hand on the hilt. She ignored her companions talking as she leaned in and brushed Inuyasha's bangs away fro his forehead. She had to reassure herself he was still breathing.

"Return to me, Inuyasha," she whispered in a small, desperate voice.

"Yes," Miroku nodded. "Inuyasha possesses the ability to assume both his human and his youkai form. It's quite a feat, for usually hanyou can't assume a youkai form, while our friend here can and, according to Shippou, his scent at that time is of a pure blooded youkai. In his human form Inuyasha appears like an ordinary mortal, his youki is indistinguishable."

"But while his human time is more of a periodic thing the youkai form surfaces only under specific circumstances," said Sango, not wanting to share with Kikyou the secret of the new moon and his human form. It was Inuyasha's secret and in her opinion only he could decide who was worthy of his trust to possess such knowledge. She prided herself to be one of the few Inuyasha really trusted and wouldn't betray her friend, not now, not ever. So, instead of letting Miroku babble about the human form of her friend she nudged the discussion to the opposite form of Inuyasha.

"And what are the conditions?" Kikyou glanced down at the hanyou.

"He must be separated from Tessaiga and mortally wounded," Miroku replied, pretty bluntly for himself. He didn't like the look Kikyou had in her eyes. It was like she was unhappy to learn Inuyasha could get even more youkai-like.

"And he gets really nasty when he does," Shippou blurted out. "He goes and kills all threats like it's nothing! Myouga says in this state he can't distinguish between friends or foes, but he never went after innocent people. He only killed the bandits and the youkai!"

"Shippou!" Sango scolded the boy when Kikyou's already pale complexion turned even paler and the miko lifted her hands from the place where she was keeping them against Inuyasha's wrist. Kagome finally noticed the world around her and glared at Kikyou.

"He risked his life to save you and he risks his life every time we help other people," she said, her voice rough with suppressed emotions. "How can you look at him like he had done something wrong?"

"He murdered humans," Kikyou said, more sad than angry, but it was easy to recognize the underlying disgust in Inuyasha's action in her words.

"He has no control over his youkai," Kagome pointed out, her voice fierce, fire returning to her brown eyes. "He killed the bandits who attacked an innocent village!"

"The honorable goal doesn't explain the dishonorable actions," Kikyou replied softly. "But I understand he has to be forgiven if he couldn't control the tainted youkai blood. Poor Inuyasha. His human heart was probably in pain for weeks."

"His youkai blood saved your life today!" Now Kagome growled. Sango and the rest of the gang glared at the undead miko. What right she had to judge their friend, she, who had given Naraku jewel shards stolen from them so she could purify the jewel with the vile hanyou?

"Not really. It actually caused my death," Kikyou shook her head, appearing even more distanced than usual. "If not for his hanyou state there would be no need to use the jewel to purify him," Kikyou retorted with stone-calm face. "Today he aided me, but to be frank I didn't need his help to get free, I was close to purifying the ogre myself."

Kagome was positively close to going full youkai on Kikyou, despite being pure human. As much as Miroku liked cat fights he supposed Inuyasha wouldn't appreciate them two trying to scratch their eyes out.

"Ekhm!" Miroku cleared his throat, trying to make the mikos look his way. "I believe that it's not the time nor place to argue. Let's stay calm and rest, Inuyasha needs silence, so he can heal faster."

It made Kagome's anger subside a little, but she was still glaring at Kikyou, who resumed her previous position by the fire. The undead miko looked just a little more sad, probably unhappy that the boy she had once loved, commited  
murder. Kagome looked at the other miko with expression which clearly meant 'don't come closer to Inuyasha or I'll tear your head off.' The other miko didn't look impressed, but didn't approach either.

The air in the cave was thick and packed up with tension. Shippou was reluctant to leave his spot at Inuyasha's side, but he just couldn't stay there, the little hairs on the back of his neck were standing up and his tail was twice as big as usual. He carefully crept to hide behind Sango. There was disapproval in the slayer's eyes when she was observing the calm woman and no one spoke to her again, barely tolerating her in the cave.

Miroku was the only one who had a little sympathy for the older miko, knowing how her training had forged her view on the world, value of human life and youkai blood. Still, it wasn't enough to make him act friendly towards her.


	4. Chapter 4

4.

A couple of hours passed. Kagome covered Inuyasha with a blanket, checking often on his state, despite the fact that the hanyou wasn't showing any signs of waking up. But luckily it seemed his wounds were on a good path to heal.

Miroku and Kikyou resigned themselves to meditating. Kirara finished cleaning her wounds, which were healing even faster than Inuyasha's. Shippou's bruises were almost gone and the boy was quietly drawing in a corner of the cave, desperate to find some distraction from his constant worry about the unconscious hanyou. His scent was getting more and more weird, but the boy couldn't put a finger on how weird exactly, so he kept it to himself, not wanting to worry others.

Sango was cleaning and fixing her gear, trying to find something for herself to do in the small cave. Every time she looked up she saw Kagome keeping her silent vigil over her beloved hanyou. She was also wondering why Kikyou was still there, in her opinion the undead miko should just leave them alone. Her presence was only making Kagome annoyed. Sango was sure of it even if Kagome was doing her best to look calm.

Outside the sky was darkening and the forest around the cave was growing silent when the birds and other animals were going to sleep. Kagome redid a few bandages which soaked through.

"Had he been human that wouldn't happen to him," whispered Kikyou, more to her thoughts than to other humans in the cave. Kagome's head snapped up.

"Don't even start it!" she scolded. "He's just fine as he is. I love him for being himself, the strength of his youkai helps him to protect what he holds dear because of his human heart. Would you like to strip him of this ability to defend his friends?"

To Sango's surprise Kikyou didn't answer immediately. She turned her thoughtful gaze at the prone hanyou.

"There wouldn't be need to fight. The jewel would be purified by the wish to make him human," she said, but it didn't feel like she believed in her words like she had once believed.

"Feh," Kagome snorted, making a good impression of Inuyasha. "Do you want to tell me that ripping a person in half and destroying the half you don't like is a pure wish? The jewel would twist it on you and he would suffer because of it."

"He suffers now. He suffered years of loneliness, ridicule and hate. Do you really want for his life to be like this?" Kikyou asked. Kagome shook her head and gestured around.

"Does that look like he has no friends, who can look past his hanyou status? No one here cares if he's half or not, we care for who, not what he is."

"Lady Kagome is right," stated Miroku calmly and opened his eyes. "We and the people of Lady Kaede's village accept Inuyasha with all his multiple flaws and virtues."

"And there are others, people he helped during the quest," Sango added, just glad to make sure Kikyou got their point. She thought the only way for Inuyasha to be accepted was for him to deny a half of himself, to erase it, with all good and bad it could offer.

"And not only humans," Shippou piped in, causing everyone to look at him. "Do you remember the water kami of the lake? Or Shiori and Jinenji? And I'm sure Soten from the Thunder Youkai Tribe likes him too. There are all kind of people. Kagome just had to show us that there's something more to this mean bully."

Kagome offered Shippou a warm, soft smile.

"All Inuyasha needed to show his softer side was some love... And trust," she said, a bit embarrassed by the warm smiles of her friends and Shippou's praise. But the kit was right, there were not only grateful humans on their path. Oh, there were some who were hostile, or whispering behind his back, but there also those who didn't treat him much different, especially when they saw him in company of humans and not acting like a monster.

Kikyou sighed.

"I was supposed to give him that love and trust," she said, looking in the fire. "But I couldn't trust a person who was half youkai. I was taught never to trust a youkai. Too many times they tried to trick me and steal the jewel."

Everyone looked with sympathy at the undead miko. Sango thought that she could not like her and still feel sad for the tragic woman. Kikyou was one of the victims of the jewel and now she was forced to wander the world and see the one she had loved forming a relationship with another - her reincarnation on top of that.

As they were talking no one noticed that two blue stripes appeared on Inuyasha's cheeks, faint and thin, but visible against his pale skin.

When some more time passed the gang decided it was time to eat. They dropped the somber topic of the delicate matters of Inuyasha's relationships and whether or not should he stay the same with Kagome or go be a human (or go to hell) with Kikyou. There was no point in arguing about it, the choice was Inuyasha's and thinking about it only made Kagome sad and angry. Kikyou seemed deep in thought, as if their words had found purchase in her mind. Kagome just hoped that the undead miko could see the truth and let Inuyasha be happy and be himself.

They busied themselves making dinner and it was quickly revealed that the best course of action was to make ramen. Their head provider was still unconscious, so there would be no meat for them tonight.

Kikyou looked in wonder at the ramen packages and Kagome generously invited her to share a meal with them. The undead miko looked in surprise at her, but smiled and accepted. Sango was amazed, she doubted she could invite her rival to a meal with such grace.

Soon they all sat with a cup of ramen each. The smell of instant noodles filled the air in the cave.

And a miracle occurred.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: ~pushes the fic off the cliff and gives you two chaps this time~  
I'm sorry if the previous chapters felt drawn out and could be put in one. Actually, the whole story was written as a single thing and later divided to shorter, under 2k-words long chapters. Anyway, there will be two chaps today and the rest will be up tomorrow, so stay tuned and don't forget to flame me in the comment section!

5.

Inuyasha's his eyes opened. They were as golden as always, but seemed different somehow. He took a deep inhale and licked his dry lips.

"I smell... Tasty soup?" he whispered, his voice more rough, deeper than usual. Everyone jumped in their places, turning his way as the hanyou lifted himself on an elbow.

"Inuyasha, you're awake!" squeaked Shippou in delight.

"Don't sit up!" Kagome rushed over to him and tried to ease him on the blanket. "You're wounded."

"These are just flesh wounds, fair one," he assured her and carefully sat up to look at the group. When he noticed everyone was staring at him in shock, even Kagome, he raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter?"

"Um, Inuyasha, are you sure you didn't get hit on the head?" asked Shippou, who was once more at the hanyou's side.

"I don't recall that, why?" he cocked his ear Shippou's way.

"You never call Kagome fair," pointed the child out, literally pointing at the blushing girl. "Not that she isn't!" the boy assured his adoptive mother.

"I don't?" Inuyasha turned to the young miko, who blushed even deeper when she saw the innocently puzzled expression on his face; she just shook her head. Inuyasha frowned, obviously trying to remember. "So it seems. It's a pity, since it's true and you should hear it often... Wench?" he added his usual name for her as if uncertain it would fit, as if he wasn't sure he should use it. Kagome gave him a weak smile.

"Is it just me who noticed Inuyasha's markings?" asked Sango in concern. "Inuyasha, you have your youkai markings visible, but they're different color."

"I wonder what does that mean," murmured Miroku. Inuyasha tensed for a second.

"It probably has something to do with my healing," the hanyou brushed the topic off and sniffed. "What is this heavenly scent?"

Kagome giggled, finding some relief in a familiar Inuyasha behavior.

"It's beef ramen, do you want some?" she asked, reaching for her bowl. She could skip a meal.

"I can give him my bowl," volunteered Kikyou. "I do not need food to sustain myself."

She offered her bowl to the hanyou, who looked straight at her. Sadness and sympathy appeared in his eyes, but there was no guilt in them. "Kikyou..."

The hanyou took a deep breath and reached for Tessaiga before he lifted himself to his trademark squat. He ignored both offered bowls.

"Kikyou, Kagome," he started, looking at both of them seriously. There was serenity in his eyes, as if he already knew something they didn't. Kagome gulped and Kikyou leaned forward a little. Even Miroku and Sango were unable to stop listening to him. There was an odd air around him and they felt pulled towards him, unwilling to ignore whatever he might want to say.

"He- I was torn between you for a long time, for months feeling guilty and caged," he started. "With one h- I was bound by love and trust, with other by memories and duty. I took responsibility for both of you - to protect one, to avenge the other," he said, "Those vows will be kept, this one wants you two to know that."

No one spoke, stunned by his words. For months Inuyasha had been unable to voice his feelings or to choose. Now he was speaking solemnly, with an air of authority and charisma he had been exceeding pretty rarely and never when it came to his own feelings.

"Kikyou, I know how hard it is for you to wander this world again, knowing that you no longer are a part of it. You desire only to see Naraku gone and the jewel purified. I remember... it was asked of you - don't fight alone," Inuyasha said to the undead miko, who bit her bottom lip. "You can choose, Kikyou, you don't have to walk the path of loneliness anymore. Find peace in the knowledge that your duty to the jewel ended with your death. You were brought back against your will, against the laws of nature. But you're not pushed into being the Shikon Miko again. You want to see Naraku punished and the jewel purified so no other girl would share your fate. This noble wish will be fulfilled, but not with magic, it will be with our combined strengths... I mean Tessaiga will deliver the fatal blow, but the others will be important in the fight, so yeah/"

"Inuyasha..."

"I... can't give you what you once wanted, I am no longer the same person, nor are you the same woman," he said. "But h- I am still your friend. I know the relationship we had changed, but you will always have my support."

"I understand," a small smile played on her pale lips. "I will keep your words in mind."

He nodded and turned his eyes to Kagome. "And you."

Everyone was gaping with their mouth open. Was Inuyasha chosing Kagome? It sure looked like he got things straight with Kikyou, telling her they couldn't be together, but not shoving her away.

"You, the girl who knows no fear when you stand by the values you believe in, who knows no selfishness when it comes to friendship and acceptance, who knows no shame in loving and trusting a hanyou. In those things you are like Iz- my mother."

Kagome was speechless. All of Inuyasha's words to Kikyou and now to her fell on her like a ton of bricks. What was happening? Was she dreaming a crazy dream or something? She reached out and touched his hand to make sure he was real.

"One day, when the time is right, you will hear me asking you the question no hanyou ever dared to ask. If you answer yes... Well, that will be a totally new adventure, for there is no story of a mated hanyou recorded," he smirked at the gaping girl. Kagome tried and failed a couple of times to say something, but Inuyasha shook his head. "Not now. When the time is right. Till that day, please, have patience and don't use the beads around the wolf prince. He's really annoying, staking his claim on you despite knowing well that you are not interested and... that you have me already. It's like he's ignoring... my word because I'm a hanyou and he's better. Stupid wolf, he's just a chief of a tribe, not a real prince. Little Ayame is the princess of the wolf tribe and even if he mates her she'll be the ruler and he her spouse. Dumb wolf," Inuyasha muttered, more like to himself. His speech was so fluent and his words so not-Inuyasha that no one noticed he was sometimes stumbling over his words and changing them at the last moment. Kagome was able only to nod and blink her teary eyes at the boy she loved. Satisfied, Inuyasha turned to look at the rest of his pack.

"And you..."


	6. Chapter 6

6.

Shippou found himself on the receiving end of Inuyasha's glance and he gulped. Inuyasha didn't smell right.

"You, mischievous kit," Inuyasha smirked. "I.. Being an orphan is hard, I know. But you are not alone, you have a new family," Shippou suddenly realized that this was true, his friends were close to him like a weird kind of siblings of different litters.

"Uh-huh," he nodded with seriousness of a kid. Inuyasha reached out and... Ruffled his hair with an uncharacteristically fatherly smile. Shippou - and the audience - forgot to breathe.

"You're a kitsune, but remember to try and behave, you tricker. Otherwise it is just your fault the pack leader decides to dish out a punishment. It's only natural for a dog youkai to want and keep order in the pack."

"I don't promise anything," replied Shippou, just like a kitsune should. Inuyasha chuckled and looked up to Sango's eyes. Sango had a sudden urge to duck behind someone. Inuyasha must have sensed it, because he grinned a wicked youkai grin. It was different from his usual one somehow.

"Uh..." she started.

"I admire you," Inuyasha said bluntly. "You went and became an exterminator, you survived a betrayal, you lived despite the fact that the world you once knew was shattered and redone, with your entire village gone. And you chose to fight, to never give up, to seek justice and to save your brother. It takes balls, balls of adamant," Inuyasha smirked when the girl blushed. "I know you don't hear that often, Sango, but you have more courage and strength in one fingernail than the daiyoukai of the South. and he's a damn huge bastard. Just know that you can loosen up around the pack. You don't have to be always strong and you can trust us. Well, don't trust the monk too much without any real commitment from his part, but you get the hint."

"I think I do," Sango laughed nervously. Everyone around the fire was wondering what had happened to their secretive, gruff and rude friend, but no one dared to voice any of their worries, too curious to see what was going to happen. Now Miroku braced himself... But Inuyasha's eyes locked on Kirara. He... bowed his head a little.

"Ancient one, thank you," he said simply and Kirara meowed, giving him a regal incline of her head. "Now to the monk. I really don't know what to say."

"You can praise me for my virtues?" suggested Miroku with faint hope.

"What virtues?" Sango raised and eyebrow and made even Kikyou smirk.

"When shit looms over you," Inuyasha's voice got serious and caught everyone's attention again. "You turn your back on it and try to live your life to the fullest. It's a very human thing to do. And it requires balls of adamant too. But don't ignore shit all the time, you sometimes have to face it, but you don't have to face it alone. Just don't go around citing me, because it'll just sound weird and I'll go and deny it."

Finally Inuyasha stood up and looked at the group of stunned humans. Sango was smiling softly, Miroku had a new fire in his eyes, Shippou looked less tense. Kagome had tears in her eyes while Kikyou was looking at Inuyasha with a serene expression.

"I need to go," he said to them.

"Wait, you can't! You're wounded!" Kagome argued, waking up from her daze.

"I'll be fine. I need to visit a certain place and quick."

And with that he was gone.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thank you all for all your lovely reviews! I literally squeal in delight every time I see you guys guessing what happened. The last chapter of the story will be posted this evening, but I'm half inclined to do an epilogue... Would you like that?

7.

Quite a few kilometers away another little group was making their camp in a lovely meadow between tall trees. A two-headed dragon was dragging branches for the fire, a girl was at his side, collecting edible mushrooms and berries. A kappa was grumbling and bringing water from a nearby stream. A daiyoukai was patrolling the nearest area, making sure there was nothing that could put his ward in any danger during his absence.

And he had to be absent this night. He had to go and see the battlefield he could smell in the distance. He could smell Inuyasha's blood.

Of course he wanted to make sure that the one only he, Sesshomaru, was privileged to kill, was still alive. It would be just like his stubborn little brother to let some weakling kill him just to rid him off the pleasure of doing it. Insolent hanyou, he had no respect for the daiyoukai blood flowing through him. Someone of his heritage could be slain only by a daiyoukai, anything less would be just an insult to the Inu no Taisho's line. 'Better be alive, little brother, or this one will use the Tenseiga to bring you back and punish you for your insolence,' the daiyoukai thought as he entered the camp where Jaken was staring the fire. 'Be alive, little brother.'

"Rin," he said, drawing the girl's attention to himself.

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru?" the human child stood up.

"Stay with Ah-Un," he ordered and turned around to leave. He heard her obediently agreeing and Jaken calling his name, but he didn't look back.

He was halfway to the battlefield when he saw him.

A lone figure clad in brilliant red, seemingly soaring above the plains, his white hair fanned out behind as he ran. The hanyou wasn't capable of fight, it required much more concentration and skill than he had, at least now. Sesshomaru suspected it'd take him another century to master flight, for now he could just make great gliding leaps, just like the ones he was making right now.

Instinctively Sesshomaru laid his hand on Tokijin's hilt and drew the sword, moving to block the hanyou's way. He didn't really want to do battle, but it was the best way to make the hot-head stop and tell Sesshomaru what had happened to him and his rag-tag pack. They were nowhere in sight.

Inuyasha had no trouble drawing Tessaiga and blocking Tokijin with its dormant blade. The brothers looked at each other above the crossed blades. Sesshomaru glared at the smirking hanyou and that was when he saw his markings. They looked... familiar. And the hanyou's scent was off.

Suddenly, before Sesshomaru could come to a conclusion what his brother had put himself into this time the hanyou leaned in above the blades and...

...Licked the daiyoukai's chin in a gesture of affection only a pack member could show. That proved to be more effective than a Wind Scar, Sesshomaru stumbled backwards and almost dropped his sword. Tenseiga on his hip pulsed, as if greeting it's sister-sword.

"You! How?" he managed to utter. Inuyasha smirked.

"I smell on you that you finally found someone to protect. That's good. I can't waut to see the empire you will build. And ssorry for the paw," Sesshomaru knew he was staring like some idiot, but he couldn't help it. "I'm sure it'll grow back and in the meantime you're pretty good at kicking major asses with one hand. By the way I think you should use the Tenseiga on the windy girl you seem to like. But what do I know, it's not like it's my fang."

And with that Inuyasha ran away. Sesshomaru didn't run after him, even if a part of him wanted to. When an hour later a cat youkai flying at full speed and carrying three humans and a kitsune flew past him Sesshomaru grunted and sheathed Tokijin.

"Hm," he said to no one in particular.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Don't forget to check out chap 7, it was published a while ago.

8.

"Ah," Totosai sighed as he finished tidying his workspace after completing a wedding blade for a tiger daiyoukai. The commissioned sword was truly beautiful, with the traditional tiger youkai hilt wrapping and sleek blade curved almost like a tail of a tiger ready to strike.

"It is beautiful, old friend," praised Myouga from his spot on top of Totosai's head. "I must say it's a pity it has no special attacks."

"Well, that was the request of the tigress," said the sword smith. "She doesn't want her weasel of a groom to get any ideas he could use the blade against her and claim her land."

"Doesn't she trust her future mate?" the flea youkai asked.

"She knows him well enough to know that his love might not be enough to keep him from trying. I guess it's another miracle of love," mused Totosai. "As long as you are engaged everything is rainbow and butterflies, but as soon as you mate... Well, the beast shows its claws."

"I'll never understand why people want to marry," Myouga shook his little head.

"Hey, old friends," came suddenly from behind them, from the entrance of Totosai's dwelling. Totosai spun on his heels as if he was a teenager. Both old youkai's eyes bulged out when they saw the newcomer.

"Master!"

Inuyasha smirked. He was clad only in his hakama, but the bandages around his torso and stomach were making a good job covering his upper half. He was holding Tessaiga's hilt, the blade was at his hip. But the thing that startled them the most wasn't his sudden appearance, but the mischievous glint in yellow eyes, underlined by two blue stripes.

"You look like you saw a ghost. Do you have any sake here, Tot?" the hanyou inquired and went to sniff around the cabinet in a corner of the room.

"No, no, you don't drink sake!" Myouga was following Inuyasha's movements with his round eyes.

"I don't?" Inuyasha glanced back at the flea, as if suspecting a lie. "Holy shit, I don't. That's a pity, I'd like to try sake one more time."

"No, you certainly don't drink sake." Myouga assured his young lord. "You say that sake is for the weak of mind."

"This sounds like something Izayoi would say," Inuyasha muttered, more to himself than to the pair of old youkai who were still observing him with rapt amazement. "Oh, well, I guess it's okay. I don't have time for sake anyway."

Suddenly the hanyou spun around and stared back in Totosai's eyes with intensity. Totosai gulped.

"Totosai, my old friend!" Inuyasha beamed at the old sword smith and approached him. One of his calloused hands landed on Totosai's thin shoulder. "I need your help. Like right now." His jovial tone of voice morphed into an urgent one, his eyes grew stern when he bent down to look in Totosai's face. Myouga was relieved that he wasn't on the receiving end of that glance. He feared the day Inuyasha would learn this trick and use it against his faithful servant.

"Uh... I,,, Who are you? Who am i? Am I Totosai...?" Totosai tried, hoping - praying - that he'd get a lump on his head and see the boy storming out and screaming profanities over his shoulder.

Inuyasha grinned.

"I knew I can count on you!"

"Uh..." Totosai scratched his cheek. "You're welcome?" To his utter shock the young boy started to tear off his bandages, revealing almost healed, but often still angry red wounds. "What happ-aah..."

"Oh, goodness," Myouga gasped along with him when Inuyasha tore the carefully wrapped wound on his right shoulder. It was no longer bleeding, but was healing slower than his other injuries and was purple-red. Red and blue youki were swirling around the wound.

"In short words - the boy was in a battle," Inuyasha sat down on the floor and held Tessaiga to the sword smith, prompting him to examine the blade. "And he got himself impaled on the Tessaiga."

"That's not immediately bad?" Totosai said, his voice uncertain. He licked the offered blade and winced. "It wasn't meant to soak in yours... his blood, but I guess it will only make his bond to the blade grow stronger."

"Yeah, I figured that out," Inuyasha gave a nod. "But a blood bonding ritual must be made under the sword's creator's supervision. It was highly unlikely one of his pack could know that and bring the boy to you. We all know binding inu fangs can be tricky and dangerous. So I kinda used my link to the fang and kinda possessed my son to bring him to you. You have to make sure he wakes up and the bond isn't fucked up."

Totosai just nodded and went about his workspace, collecting some tools and grumbling under his nose. Meanwhile Myouga sat on Inuyasha's knee and looked up at him.

"Myouga, just think about all the new techniques the sword can get now! And it will be one with my son now, just like it once had been with me!" the sitting hanyou grinned happily.

"Ah, yes, that will certainly be a wonderful thing to see," Myouga was less enthusiastic. "More obviously dangerous tasks to get the techniques first, right?"

"Of course! What fun there is in just getting a new skill without working for it first? It builds your character and strength." The hanyou smiled. "I always loved to learn new tricks. And I'm sure my son will have fun with his new bond with Tessaiga."

"Ah, yes, I'm sure he will," the flea nodded, then decided to change the subject. Imagining Inuyasha with even more deadly arsenal was frightening. "Master, I hope that your friends are in good health?" he inquired. Inuyasha tilted his head to let Totosai inspect the wound from close by.

"Yeah, they were camping and keeping watch over me," Inuyasha grit his teeth when Totosai put a thin metal object to the wound. The metal started to glow before it was removed. Tessaiga was laid across Inuyasha's lap and he stroked the blade with his fingertips when the sword smith tied his tool to the hilt of the katana with a wire.

"I hope they're not worried about you?" Myouga asked. It looked as if he was trying to distract the hanyou from what the other youkai was doing, but in fact he really wanted to know. He knew his master and had a bad feeling about it. The feeling grew worse when he saw Inuyasha's smirk.

"Oh, I pretended to be my son. You know, I have access to his memories and knowledge while I'm in his head I told them some stuff and then said I'll be back," the boy answered mirthfully.

"What... Stuff?" Myouga felt a cold shiver run down his spine. Inuyasha shrugged his uninjured arm and then rested on his back, following Totosai's command, putting the sword across his chest. Totosai gave him a cup of strange smelling liquid to drink and he downed it without a second thought.

The spirit who had possessed Inuyasha answered and then closed his eyes. The markings on his cheeks disappeared, so did the color on Myouga's face.

"What did he say?" asked Totosai who had left them for a moment to get an old looking adamant hammer from a cabinet. He almost dropped it when Myouga repeated the answer.

"He said all he felt should be said. What Inuyasha always wanted to say."

Totosai looked down at the hanyou boy who was unaware of what just had occurred. Then he chuckled.

"I think it's only for the best."

Myouga wasn't so sure. He was even more unsure when around the dawn the gang finally made their way to Totosai's home.

A/N: Inuyasha is in for an eventful day after his little nap...  
I never promised you a serious fix. Thank you all for reading and reviewing.  
I was rewatching random episodes lately and I noticed once more that the Final Act is weird. Like - out of a sudden Tessaiga can steal youki (why didn't it steal it from the dragon youkai then? Why didn't it steal it from the Thunder Pipe? Various other enemies and artifacts Inuyasha killed or just defeated during the series?) So I figured out that maybe something happened to Inu and Tessaiga to strengthen their bond and give him some fun abilities.  
But really, treat this story as a crack-ish AU or whatever.  
Thank you all for reading!


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